Just like its car, Ironwood Studios' debut is a quirky, brave blender

Having already played a preview version of Pacific Drive, I felt confident going into my walkthrough for this review. I had learned a lot about this cheesy but addictive driving/survival/roguelit game in those few hours – knowledge I thought I could apply from the get-go. I figured I could just start optimizing my resource collection and apply my understanding to some of its arcane systems. I envisioned a smooth ride through the early missions as I explored the crumbling reality of the Olympic Exclusion Zone in the Pacific Northwest, gradually fortifying my shabby station wagon against the wild hazards of this irradiated wilderness.

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But the Olympic Exclusion Zone and Pacific Drive had other ideas.